As the new year commences, two facts emerge: George W. Bush is officially retired as the fault-guy for the nation's ills, and Barack Obama owns the game.
Whether he wants to or not.
Every president deserves a year of grace to adapt to the job and adjust to its learning curve. As Obama's first year ends - almost with a bang, thanks to a lonely Nigerian who found love in jihad - his grace period is up.
Depending on how he responds to the security breach that almost brought down a Detroit-bound flight from Amsterdam, Obama's presidency is at risk of being rendered prematurely impotent.
If Bush could be blamed for the dot-connecting inadequacies that helped enable the terrorist attacks of 9-11 eight months into his administration, then Obama can fairly be held responsible for the incompetence that allowed a disaffected jihadist to get explosive powder onto a plane.
The banality of our most recent would-be attack is almost too on-the-nose to exploit, but really. The son of a Nigerian banker packs his underwear with explosive material? If it weren't all so bloody horrifying, the incident would be ridiculous.
Which, come to think of it, is a fair appraisal of the Obama administration's initial performance when faced with a potentially catastrophic terrorist strike. National security was never considered Obama's strong suit. Back in September 2008, I wrote: "I worry that Obama isn't serious enough about terrorism and free markets.... I worry... that he will get lost in a maze of deep thoughts and fail to be decisive when necessary."
Or lost on a golf course, as the case may be.
Obama's open-collared, vacation response from Hawaii was delivered on Katrina time - about two days too late - and fell a few links short of reassuring.
The cool detachment that was so attractive when political opponents were trying to rile Obama is suddenly annoying. Preternaturally unflappable, his demeanor in these circumstances borders on inappropriate. What does it take to get a rise out of Barack Obama?
But, action is being taken, we're told. Investigations are under way and reports are being tabulated. Soon decisions will be forthcoming as to whether we bomb al-Qaida outposts in Yemen or insist that airline travelers liberate their inner Britneys and go panty-free through security checkpoints.
Full cavity searches can't be far from the minds of bureaucrats looking for ways to create a faux sense of security rather than figure out how to draw simple inferences from red flags.
The brightest among many was the perpetrator's own father's reports, both in person (twice) and by phone to American officials, that his son had become radicalized and might be dangerous.
A CIA report describing those concerns apparently never made it through the Byzantine intelligence channels until after the foiled attack on Christmas Day.
Why? Obama has had plenty of time to tweak the system he now blames for the underwear bomber.
It's his ball now; time to stop dribbling.
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